Reading machine



v Dec. 6, 1932. B, A, FISKE 1,890,149

READING MACHINE Filed Nov. 22, 1930 INVENTQ R 47 VWQ, BY

ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 6, 1932 UNITED STATES BRADLEY A. FISKE, 01 NEW YORK, N. Y.

READING MACHINE 7 Application filed November 22, 1930. Serial 80. 97,105.

5 capable of being folded so as to occupy little Space, and highly efficient and convenient in operation.

With the present machine, the rmted matter is carried on sheets or strips 0 fairly stiff paper and arranged in horizontal and vertical columns. Good results have been obtained with sheets or strips having a length of about eight and one-half inches and a width of about two and one-half inches, each 5 panel of printed matter being approx mately ve-eights inch in its vertical dimension and one-half inch in its horizontal dimension. Of course it will be understood that the figures given are simply for illustration and maybe varied within substantial limits.

lVith my present improved machine, the paper strip is held frictionally in a simple form of carrier which is adjustable vertically to permit the successive horizontal rows or panels of printed matter be brought into the field of view of the lens or glass. In operation after the printed matter on any particular panel has been read. the strip is shifted sidewise so as to bring the succeeding panel in the same horizontal row into vrew. This feeding of the paper strip maybe effected in any suitable way but I have devised for the purpose an improved form of feeding means which I prefer to use and which will be later described and incorporated in some of the appended claims.

My improved machine employs a lens or glass of suitable power properly mounted with respect to the printed matter and associated with means by which focussing can be effected. The lens or glass is so mounted with respect to the main frame of the machine that when not in use it may be folded in close proximity to said frame so as to make 5 the device flat and compact. Means are also provide by which when out of use the handle may 'be telescoped vertically with respect to the main frame so as to secure compactness in a vertical direction.

In order that the invention may be better understood attention is directed to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification and in which Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the machine in use and illustrating in outline the hand of the user.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 looking in the direction of the ar rows in the latter figure.

Figure 3 a rear elevation of the upper portion of the improved reading machine showing the uppermost position of the paper carrier in dotted lines.

Figure 4 a sectional view on the line 2-2 of Figure 2 looking in the direction of the arrows on the latter figure, and

Figure 5 a gletailed view of a suitable arran ement o aper stri carrym' the pri ted matter. In all of the above views corresponding parts are represented by the same characters.

Most of the parts of my improved reading machines are preferably made of duralumin *in order to secure the necessary strength and stifl'ness with extreme lightness but other materials may of course be used.

The main frame 1 is flat and is formed at its upper end with the prongs 22 to guide and to assist in keeping the paper sheet flatinthe paper carrier. Moun upon the main frame 1 is a handle 3 the portion 4 thereof being preferably of wood and said handle is provided with overturned flanges 3' extending around the edges of the main frame 1 as shown, and engaging said frame with sufiicient friction as to be maintained in place when extended to the reading position shown in Figures 1 and 2. Obviously the handle 3 may be moved upwardly into a telescoping position with respect to the main frame 1 owing to its frictional engagement therewith. A small pivoted latch 5 normally prevents the handle from being moved beyond the correct position for reading but by lifting this latch and swinging it out of the way the handle may be removed as will be obvious. r

The main frame is preferably cut away as at 6, to secure lightness, and bridging the legs formed by the cutaway portion is a spacer 7 to which is riveted or otherwise secured a vertical support 8 for the .paper carrier.

The paper carrier fits into the space between the support 8 and the main frame and comprises a plate 9 having spaced paper clips 10 and llat the top and bottom, respectively. The plate 9 is provided with two guides 13-13 sliding upon the support 8 whereby the paper carrier will be firmly supported at all times and guided accurately in its vertical adjustments.

4 Bridging across the guides 13 is a bridge 14 which completes the mounting of the paper carrier and from this bridge and integral therewith extends a spring tongue 15 pressing upon the guide 8 with suflicient friction to hold the paper carrier in any position of adjustment. The glass or lens 16 is of any suitable power and is carried at the upper end of a lens support 17.

A bar 18, preferably circular in cross section, is pivoted between lugs 1919 to the main frame, whereby the bar may be moved pivotally with respect to said frame. A tongue 20 is formed in the main frame and engages the fiat inner end of the rod 18 with sufiicient spring tension to hold said rod and the lens or glass steady in the reading position. At the same time the tongue 20 permits the rod18 to be moved pivotally with respect to the main frame and it assures the parts snapping smartly into reading position as shown in Figure 1 when they are unfolded.

Embracing rod 18 is a sleeve-21 pivoted between lugs 22 on the lens support 17. A

tongue is formed in this lens support similar to tongue 20 and engages the outer end of the sleeve 21 so as to maintain the lens support in its desired vertical position. Secured to the rod 18 is a small rack 23 working in a slot in the sleeve 21 so as to prevent a turnmg movment of the lens support with respect to the rod 18 as clearly shown in Figure 2. Sleeve 21 is of rectangular form on its extenor. The rack 23 isengaged by a small pinion (not shown) on the shaft 24 which isturned by a milled wheel 25 when focussing is to be effected.

The printed matter is preferably carried on a strip offairly thick paper 26 sufliciently stiff to maintain itself'properly in the paper carrier, and it may conveniently be of the dimensions heretofore given. The printed matter is in the form of panels, preferably sufliciently small as to be comprehended within the field of view of the lenspas in-this way an entire panel or page can be read without making any adjustment of the paper. The panels or pages of printed matter are arranged in horizontal rows as shown in Figure 5, three of such rows being illustrated. They are separated a short "distance and the panel of one row is preferably in vertical line with the corresponding panel of the other row or rows.

In order to feed the paper held in the paper carrier horizontally to bring the panels or pages of printed matter successively into view, I prefer to employ the special feeding mechanism shown in the drawing. This comprises a shaft 27 vertically mounted with respect to the carrier 1. At its lower end the shaft 27 is mounted in a bearing 28 with a fairly close fit. Near its other end, the shaft 27 turns within a staple or eye 29 so that said shaft may move toward and awa from the paper strip. Carried by the sha t 27 is a knurled wheel 30 and in line therewith is a cutaway portion 31 in the main frame permitting clearance of the knurled wheel when the same is pressed toward the frame as I paper horizontally, the thumb of the user is pressed against the knurled wheel 30 causing the shaft 27 to spring slightly and thus engaging the feed wheel 32 with cons derable pressure upon the paper strip. While thus being ressed down the knurled wheel 3O 1s rotate thus movingthe paper strip frictionally until the next panel comes 1nto view. After all the pages or panels in one llOIlZOIl: tal line have been read the strip is returned by hand or by reversing the movement of the feed wheel 32, whereupon the paper carrier is elevated sufficiently to bring the next row of panels into the field of view of the lens.

Although I have not illustrated it in the drawing, it will of course be understood that I may employ a blinder for cutting off the field of view of the idle eye, said blinder being pivoted to the ring or frame supporting the lens or glass, as I have descri edm patents heretofore granted to me.

When thev printed matter on the paper Inn strip is typographic and is to be read by the I user it is preferably secured by photographically reducing to thedesired extent typeand in a sense microscopic photogra hs or pictures of any desired kind, such or example, as photographs of machinery, people,

with printed landscapes, etc. These photographs may be wholly unrelated to each other or there may be a relation between the photographs on the successive panels. For example, the successive photographs may represent the different members of the Presidents'Cabinet or they may represent the same individual at different ages. Another example or related photographs would be the representation of say ten plctures of an engine taken at ten successive positions of a complete cycle of its operation placed side by side on a card or strip so that when moved sidewise one after the other an effective study of the complete operation can be secured in a very convenient way.

It is a curious fact that when very small, practically microscopic photographs are thus observed through a lens or glass as with my improved reading machine, the impression of depth and reality is much more vivid than with an ordinary sized photograph or picture printed on a flat piece of paper. This effect may be due to the fact that all extraneous light is excluded and concentration is actually forced on the user or it may be due to the fact that the user sees no fiat piece of paper but only the thing pictured. VVhatever may be the reason for the effect, it is a fact that the impression of depth and reality is present and the picture appears to be truly stereoscopic. 1

In view of the foregoing it will be understood that the words printed matter in the appended claims are not to be limited to printed matter of a typographic character adapted to be read but also include photographs or pictures arranged in the form of panels and which may be merely observed through the lens or glass.

Having now described my invention, what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent is as follows:

1. An improved reading machine, the combination with a vertical main frame and a lens or glass carried thereby, of a paper carrier adjustable vertically with respect to the lens, a paper strip mounted insaid carrier and moving horizontally therein, said paper strip being provided with printed matter arranged in the form of panels extending in horizontal rows one above the other and a vertically adjustable handle frictionally engaging the main frame and telescoping with respect thereto.

' 2. In a reading machine, the combination with a main frame and a lens or glass fixedly supportedthereby,ofasupporting'stripspaced from the rear face carrier mounted on said strip and adjustable vertically thereon, and a paper strip mounted in said carrier and moving horizontally therein,said paper strip being provided matter arranged in the form of of the main .frame,-.a paper.

panels extending in horizontal rows one above the other. a

3. In a reading machine, the combination with a main frame and a lens or glass fixedly supported thereby, of a supporting strip spaced from the rear face of the main frame, a paper carrier mounted on said strip and adjustable vertically thereon, friction means between the paper carrier and said supporting strip for holding the paper carrier in any position of vertical adjustment, and a paper strip mounted in said carrier and moving horizontally therein, said paper strip being provided with printed matter arranged in the form of panels extending rows one above the other.

4. An improved reading machine, the combination with a vertical main frame and a in horizontal lens or glassfixedly carried thereby of a paper carrier adjustable vertically with respect to the lens, a paper strip mounted in said carrier and in, said paper strip being provided with printed matter arranged in the form of panels extending in horizontal rows one above the other and a feeding rolleradapted to be pressed into contact with the paper strip and to be rotated, whereby the strip will be fed horizontally.

5. An improved reading machine, the combination with a vertical main frame and a lens or glass carried thereby, of a. paper carrier adjustable vertically with respect to the lens, a paper strip mounted in said carrier and moving horizontally therein, said paper strip being provided with printed matter arranged in the form of panels extending in horizontal rows one above the other, a shaft carried by the main frame and movable towards and away from the same, a. knurled wheel on said shaft for rotating the same, and a feed wheel on said shaft adapted to be pressed into contact with the paper strip and be rotated, whereby the strip may be fed horizontally.

BRADLEY A. FISKE.

moving horizontally there- 

